Winter Hokkaido Tourist Information　Preparation　[Gourmet]

　In the midst of a cold Hokkaido winter, the first thing that crosses one’s mind is a hot bowl of ramen. The foremost representative of ramen in the whole country, ‘Sapporo ramen’, is one dish that must not be missed. Even so, Sapporo ramen is not the only ramen to be found in Hokkaido. Asahikawa ramen has a large fan base too. In addition, there are a variety of regional flavors including Hakodate, Kushiro, Obihiro, Muroran and Tomakomai ramen that invites you to sample and compare. Here, you will find differences in the way the soup and noodles are cooked. Differences are also found in the various parts of pork and the diverse but generous toppings used in different shops. Hokkaido’s ramen requires one to savor the diverse flavors in detail. If you have difficulty in choosing from the variety of ramen in Hokkaido, why not challenge yourself and conquer all of them? Even so, there are much more delicious dishes waiting for you in Hokkaido. Embark on a food adventure here.　
　Hotpot or Japanese ‘nabe’ is a dish that will fill you with happiness in this cold winter. When it comes to Hokkaido, seafood nabe is a must-try, as winter is the best season for delicious seafood, in addition to the usual Ishikari nabe, there are also crab nabe, codfish nabe, kinki nabe, kajika nabe and anko nabe. Be surprised by the variety of fresh fishes and vegetables and don’t forget to eat it while it is still steaming hot. Get to enjoy a variety of flavorings including miso, shio (salt), soya sauce, chiri nabe with the fresh and fine ingredients. Availability of the seafood depends on the catch of the day so make an advanced reservation with the restaurant.
　It goes without saying that the one dish all visitors to Hokkaido crave most is sushi. It is only in Hokkaido that you can get cheaper sushi as compared to those in Tokyo. In the stormy seas of Hokkaido, there is an abundance of seafood available, allowing you to savor to your heart’s content. There are many an affordable sushi restaurants that gives you a value for your money especially when there is a windfall in the catch of the day. Though prices differ from shop to shop, a ten sushi set will usually set you back by 2000 to 3000 yen. Get extra servings if this is not enough. It is best to inform the restaurant of your budget when making a reservation.
　What shocks visitors from mainland Japan the most is the quality of Hokkaido’s conveyor belt sushi. While it is fun to go about choosing the moving plates of sushi, there are many restaurants that allow you to order a freshly made sushi from the chefs. It is possible to enjoy a freshly made sushi even in a conveyor belt sushi restaurant. Hard-core fans of sushi are recommended to check out both high-class sushi restaurant and conveyor belt sushi restaurant.
　When it comes to the locals of Hokkaido, most have an image of them as people who gets to eat crabs all the time. However, that is not true. Why? This is because there is a large variety of seasonal seafood available all year. Going to an izakaya or ‘Japanese styled bar’ to check out a variety of seafood in one single dinner is the standard fare of locals here. There are many restaurants that cater to female clientele or families too. In a Japanese izakaya, prices are reasonable while the servings are generous. This is the place for you if you want to check all the diverse seafood in one go. If you only want to eat delicious crabs, crab specialty restaurants are highly recommended. There, you can find crab sashimi, a rarity even in Hokkaido. In addition to crab sashimi, get to savor steamed crabs and barbequed crabs too!　
*The information in these special articles is correct as of December 2008.
Please note that at the time of reading,
some information may have become inaccurate.